BDDS cop held in fake CBI case shot notorious goon in 2003

Aug 29, 2013, 06:04 IST
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Sandip Kolhatkar

Santosh Salunke, the police constable with the bomb detection and disposal squad of the Pune police, who was among the seven arrested imposters, who raided the bungalow of the co-owner of Kayani Bakery, Sohrab Kayani, in Gultekdi on August 2 gave an extra police uniform to suspect Atul Patankar

The police also said that Salunke is the same cop, who had shot dead notorious criminal Ramesh Tiwari (29) in the Gadital area of Mangalwar Peth on July 20, 2003 with his carbine gun.

Held for real: Cops arrested seven imposters, who posed as CBI officials, raided the residence of Kayani Bakery’s co-owner on Saturday

On Saturday, at around 7.30 am, the imposter, who was posing as a CBI officer told Sohrab Kayani that there would be a CBI raid as he had stashed Rs 100 crore in his house as he was involved in money laundering and had decamped with Rs 21 lakh, which was found in his house.

Investigations revealed that when the five suspects including Pramod Rathod, who was leading the team, even slapped Kayani and smoked frequently during the fake raid.

“When Rathod and another imposter, a Mumbai police constable with the armory section, one Rajesh Shirke and Atul Patankar came to Pune, they took Salunke with them and later even provided their extra police uniform to Patankar so that the raid looked authentic,” said Inspector (crime) Dipak Nikam of Swargate police station. He said that Patankar then wore a dress and when they stormed into Kayani’s house. Salunke and Patankar stood outside the door to show them that the raid had been conducted under adequate local police bandobast.

He further stated that Salunke, who was the part of the BDDS team had defused two bombs on JM Road and even encountered Tiwari in Mangalwar Peth in July 2003 when Salunke had caught him with a sex worker. He said that before coming to BDDS, he was posted at several police stations and at the police headquarters. As per the statement, given by Salunke he has stated that he did not have any idea about the fakeness of the raid and also stated that whenrest of the suspects approached him, he had even recommended consulting the Swargate police and taking extra police help.

Meanwhile, a team from the Akola police station too rushed to Swargate police station in July 2013. Five men and two women raided a businessman’s house and posed as CBI officers. However, they could not get anything along with them as the he became suspicious. Ram Pathare, senior PI, of Swargate police station, said that officers from Akola police station have grilled the suspects. They suspect that Rathod was the mastermind behind the raid.